The Advocate Profiles America Rising’s Efforts Against John Bel Edwards

Today, a front page article in The Advocate served as a reminder to Governor John Bel Edwards (D-LA) that America Rising is ready to hold him accountable for all of his flip-flops and broken promises. The article notes that even though Governor Edwards hasn’t even “hit the halfway point” America Rising is “going to be there to make sure someone holds him accountable”:

“Edwards hasn’t hit the halfway point in his first term yet, and no Republican has formally announced a challenge. But the America Rising political action committee, which works to track down potentially damning opposition research on Democrats across the country, has begun ramping up its efforts to document a case against Edwards in the 2019 race. ‘His election’s a long way off. A lot can happen. We’re just going to be there to make sure someone holds him accountable,’ Colin Reed, executive director of America Rising PAC, told The Advocate in a recent interview. ‘The earlier you start, the more effective you are in terms of really developing and fleshing out smart narratives that can sink in with voters.'”

As America Rising’s Executive Director Colin Reed put it the “Democrat brand in Louisiana” is a toxic one, and because of that America Rising hasn’t missed an opportunity to remind voters about Edwards’ tax hikes and budget hypocrisy:

“But Republican President Donald Trump received more votes than any candidate in Louisiana ballot history last fall, besting Democrat Hillary Clinton 58 percent to 38 percent. Reed said that backs up America Rising’s case for making a major play for Louisiana so early in the election cycle. ‘I think that speaks to the unpopularity of the Democrat brand in Louisiana,” Reed said. ‘The challenge that Gov. Edwards will face is that he carries a ‘D’ next to his name in a state where Democrats are increasingly unpopular and out of power.'”

Although Edwards has years left on his term, this new, front page article in The Advocate is just the latest sign of the political peril that awaits Edwards at his next election.